William a



(No Model.)'

W. A. DEXTER.

LOG BOAT.

No. 329,145. Patented 0012.27, 1885.

I mvmtTon: 72250" ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

NITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM A. DEXTER, OF DAYTON, NEW YORK.

LOG-

BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,145, dated October27,1885.

Application filed August 19, 1:85. Serial No. 174,806. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. DEXTER, of Dayton, in the county ofOattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedLog-Boat, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to boats or sleds used for getting out or movingtimber or carrying stone, and has for its objects to facilitate theseoperations by lessening the draft of the boat or sled, and making theboat less liable to stoppage by obstructions in its path, and also toincrease the durability of the boat or sled, especially of its bolster,to which the log usually is chained or fastened.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts of the log-boat, all as hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side view of my improved logboat. Fig. 2 is a plan viewthereof, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 0000, Fig. 1.

The letters A B indicate the opposite parallel runners of the log boator sled, which are turned upward at their front ends,which are connectedby a cross bar or plate, 0, having a hole at c to receive the draft hookor chain by means of which the boat or sled is drawn along with itsload.

Near their back ends the runners A B are connected by a heavy bolster,D, which is supported on blocks d d from the runners when said bolsteris raised considerably above the runners, as shown in Fig. 1, and infull lines in Fig. 3, to give room below it for thearched axle E, on theopposite ends or arms of which the wheels F F are fitted loosely, so

as to turn on the axle. The axle is fixed, and preferably reaches up tothe under side of the bolster to give additional stiffness and strengthto the bolster when it supports heavy logs placed lengthwise on the boator sled, to be conveyed thereby to any desired place.

Another advantage of the arrangement of the axle directly underneath andas closely as may be to the bolster is, that the chains used to bind thelog to the bolster may be pressed under the metal axle, and not directlyunder the bolster, as usual; hence the bolster will be protected by theaxle from most of the usual wear on it of the tie-chains.

By raising the bolster considerablyand arching the axle E, as shown, thesled will clear or pass over small stumps and stones, and otherobstructions in its path, which saves time which otherwise would berequired to remove the obstructions from the road.

If desired, the bolster D may be set lower down, and the truck-axle Emay run straight across the boat or sled, as indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 3 but the high bolster and arched axle are preferred for heavyboats intended to carry large logs.

The front cross-bar, (J, and the bolster D will be secured to therunners A B by heavy bolts or screws, or in any other approved way.

As shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, the wheels F F are of proper size tosupport the back ends of the runners A B a little above the ground whenthe ground is hard enough to support most of the load on the wheels, andwhen the ground is soft the Wheels will sink into the ground to allowthe load to be carried by the runners alone.

I cut recesses or notches G in the runners A B large enough to allow thewheels F F to run on their axles within the recesses, or partly withinthem-say for one-half the width of the wheel-rims, or more-so that insoft ground the fiat under faces of the runners will press or pack theearth down in front of the wheels to form a clear path for the wheels,and prevent clogging of the wheels and stoppage of the sled byobstructions which otherwise would accumulate about the wheels andinterfere seriously with the easy draft of the boat or sled.

It is obvious that'a log boat or sled constructed as above explainedwill accommodate itself by its wheels and runners to hard or softground, and that it may be drawn easier with either light or heavy loadsthan boat-s or sleds not provided with wheels arranged in the'mannerdescribed. Consequently the labor of both men and animals will belessened in getting out a given amount of timber, and time will beeconomized in the work.

By flooring over the space between the run- 11ers A B the boat Willserve as an efficient stone-sled, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention,I claim 5 as new'and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A log boat or sled constructed with runners A B, abolster, D, secured to the runners, an axle, E, held beneath thebolster, and wheels F F, fitted on the axle and projecting below.

' 10 the runners, substantially as herein set forth. 2. A log boat orsled comprising runners A B, a cross-bar, O, and bolster D, secured tothe runners, an axle, E, held beneath the bolster, and wheels F F,fitted on the axle and projecting below the runners, substantially as I5 herein set forth.

3. Alog boat or sled comprising runners A B, bolster D, connectedthereto, an axle, E, and wheels F F, arranged substantially asspecified, the said runners having recesses, as 20 at G, within whichrecesses the wheels F are located, substantially as herein set forth.

WILLIAM A. DEXTER.

Witnesses:

WINFIELD S. THRASHER, NORMAN S. THRASHER.

